First Data Unveils New Paid Parental Leave Policy

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First
Data (NYSE: FDC), a global leader in commerce-enabling technology,
today announced a new workplace policy that provides fully paid parental
leave to both full-time and part-time employees. The initiative is
designed to provide parents, regardless of gender, with the critical
time needed to care for their child without the financial constraints
that come with unpaid leave.

Beginning in January, the policy includes 12 weeks of paid leave for
primary caregivers, and two weeks of paid leave for secondary
caregivers. The parental leave can be taken in connection with the birth
of an employee’s child – through natural birth or surrogacy – or the
placement of an adopted or foster-care child in an employee’s home. This
policy will serve as a global baseline for First Data’s parental leave,
subject to local and country-specific laws.

“As our global team of 24,000 people celebrates the holidays with their
families this year, we are thrilled to announce our new gender-neutral
paid parental leave policy that puts families first,” said Anthony S.
Marino, executive vice president, Head of Human Resources at First Data.
“At First Data, we believe that cultivating an environment where
everyone can thrive professionally without sacrificing essential family
obligations ultimately creates a more productive, long-serving and loyal
workforce.”

First Data’s enhanced policy aligns with other companies known for
offering employees the best benefits for new parents. According to the
2015 employer benefits of the Society for Human Resource Management, 21%
of U.S. companies made some type of paid maternity leave available,
while 17% offered paid paternity and/or adoption leave.

Employees must have worked at First Data for at least one year to become
eligible. The first eight weeks of paid leave must be taken
consecutively after delivery, adoption, or foster-care placement. The
remaining four weeks can be used on an intermittent basis, either in the
three months leading up to, or the six months after, the child’s birth,
adoption, or foster-care placement.

In recent years, First Data has undertaken a number of initiatives to
strengthen company culture and foster a more open and inclusive
workplace. This includes the development of eight employee-led affinity
groups, as well as the introduction of enhanced benefits for LGBT
employees. Recently, First Data earned
a perfect score on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index for the third
consecutive year.

About First Data

First Data (NYSE: FDC) is a global leader in commerce-enabling
technology and solutions, serving approximately six million business
locations and 4,000 financial institutions in 118 countries around the
world. The company’s 24,000 owner-associates are dedicated to helping
companies, from start-ups to the world’s largest corporations, conduct
commerce every day by securing and processing more than 2,500
transactions per second and $1.9 trillion per year.